For example, with a video game console including controller ports to which multiple controllers is connectable, many gamers (hereafter referred to as players) may enjoy the same game by operating the respective controllers.
In the case of many players playing a game by operating respective controllers, correspondences of characters in the game shown on a display screen such as a television monitor and the controllers for manipulating those characters are set by the players themselves operating the controllers.
Note that those that are manipulated during the game using the controllers are not limited to characters, nor are what are corresponded with the controllers limited to the characters; however, characters are given as an example here for simplification of description.
In the case of a conventional video game console, controllers are connected to controller ports of the game console main unit one-to-one via cables, and the game console main unit corresponds port numbers attached to the respective controller ports to the respective characters in conformity with input by the players. For example, in the case of setting so as to manipulate a first character using a first controller connected to a first controller port (port number 01), and setting so as to manipulate a second character using a second controller connected to a second controller port (port number 02), the game console main unit corresponds the first character to the port number 01, and the second character to the port number 02. In other words, controller-to-character correspondence is set via the port numbers.